Dilek Sezen – “Don’t be afraid of change no matter how impossible it seems.”

The Woman in 3D Printing figure I am delighted to present in the blog today is Dilek Sezen. She got into 3D Printing only recently, but already created amazing collections out of this technology. I am thrilled to have her part of our community and to share her experience here.

Dilek, could you let us know how you got involved with 3D Printing?

Dilek: Overall, 3D printing caught my eye about two years ago. Initially, it was just a couple of things here and there, but then I started looking more into it. Luckily, we live in the Bay Area, a very active environment that embraces innovation, so soon enough, I was going to seminars, fairs, and taking classes about 3D design and printing.

Why using 3D Printing for your pieces of jewelry?

Dilek: There are many reasons why I got into 3D printing. Personally, about two years ago, I realized I wanted to break the routine I had molded for myself over the years. Then I had a chance to be the art director for an art exhibition. The content of the exhibition made me more aware of the social and economical changes around me and it also inspired me to look into other disciplines.

Professionally, I’ve always felt like the time and financial restrains of traditional manufacturing prevents you from expressing yourself as an artist. It creates boundaries between the design and the designer. On the other hand, 3D printing gives you choices that you did not have before. And this is not just limited to jewelry. I am also a painter, sculptor, and a designer of objets d’art and I am planning on incorporating 3D printing into all areas of design I am interested in.

Finally, 3D printing has also a lot of potential to be very environmentally friendly which is very appealing to me.

Do you think being a woman helps you in this industry?

Dilek: Even if it does, I don’t know it yet, because 3D design is a very new trade. In the twenty plus years I have spent as a designer, I have felt negative effects of being a woman from time to time. Maybe I am being overly optimistic, but with 3D design, I don’t think your gender is going to matter. When it comes to 3D design, you have to learn how to transform what you have in your mind into a digital platform and you also have to learn between three to ten software programs to be able to adequately do that, so what matters is how well you can learn these. With 3D printing, I don’t think being a woman will help you, but being a good designer will.

Anything you would like to share with our readers (in particular with our female readers)?

Dilek: Don’t be afraid of change no matter how impossible it seems. I know a lot of people say this, but it really needs to be said more. I could have come up with a thousand reasons why I should not dive nose first into a new trade of design, I could have said that it is meaningless to do this after so many years in my career, but that would just be limiting myself which is exactly the opposite of what I am trying achieve by 3D design and print.

Thank you Dilek for your involvement with Women in 3D Printing!

You can find more information about Dilek by reading her Bio. or checking her website!